Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes Apples and Brussels Sprouts

When you go out to eat or make meals at home, do you gravitate towards the familiar, or do you crave variety? As much as I like to flatter myself by insisting I like to try new things, when I step back and examine the three most recent dinners I cooked, they are all eerily similar. As of late, that’s meant iterations of Harvest Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Brussels Sprouts.

I’ve never been so pleased to be a creature of habit, even if I am in a bit of denial about it.

I first fell in love with this particular array of ingredients and flavors in January 2013, when I posted this recipe for Harvest Chicken Skillet with (wait for it) sweet potatoes, apples, and Brussels sprouts. It was one of my earliest recipes. After remembering how much I loved it, I went back and rephotographed that old recipe a few years later, and I am so glad I did. You all loved it so much too, it’s been one of my top 10 posts every day since!

Today’s Sheet Pan Chicken uses the same, beloved flavors and ingredients as my Harvest Chicken Skillet, but they are cooked on a sheet pan in the oven, instead of on the stove. What this means for you: the oven does all the work!

To make this sheet pan recipe, simply stir the veggies together on the pan, place the chicken on top, then bake. That’s it! The veggies caramelize, the chicken juices drip down onto the veggies to flavor them further, and the cinnamon and rosemary perfume your kitchen with warm, comforting scents of autumn.

Although I may have referenced an old favorite when I cooked this Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Brussels Sprouts, I did learn a new trick: video. Although I’ve made videos in the past, they were with the help of a separate videographer and editor. This video for Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Brussels Sprouts (viewable at the BOTTOM of this post) is the first I’ve ever recorded and edited entirely on my own, and it was quite the learning experience. It’s less than 45 seconds and made with love. I hope you enjoy it!

4cupsBrussels sprouts— trimmed and halved (quarter if very large), about 1 pound

1large sweet potato— peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1medium red onion— cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1medium Granny smith apple— peeled, cored, and cut into rough 1-inch pieces (these pieces should be larger than the other vegetables)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts in a large ziptop bag. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, then add the garlic, 1 tablespoon rosemary, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Zip the bag tightly, then shake and rub the bag to coat the chicken in the oil and spices. Set aside while you chop the vegetables and apples, or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Once chopped, place the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, onion, and apple on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then spread into an even layer.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on top of the apple and vegetables. Place in the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165 degrees F, about 18 to 22 minutes, or until done. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove to a plate to rest and cover with foil to keep warm. Toss the apple and vegetables on the pan, then return the pan to the oven and continue baking until caramelized and tender, about 10 to 15 additional minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary. Serve warm with the rested chicken.

Recipe Notes

Yes! You can add bacon, as in my Harvest Chicken Skillet. Cut 4 thick-cut bacon slices into 1-inch strips and scatter over the top of the chicken prior to baking. Leave on the pan to cook with the veggies after the chicken is removed.

You got me with this one, Erin. All flavors I love, and I enjoy doing sheet pan meals, even though I have only one other recipe I’ve used before. I’ll definitely be trying this one. Roasted Brussels sprouts are always welcome on my plate, as are the other ingredients.

Made it last night. It took longer than expected for the chicken to cook. It was very good, and definitely a keeper, but I think that next time I may try it with fresh marjoram in place of the rosemary, because even though I like rosemary, the majoram has a gentler flavor for me.

I just made the one pan honey garlic chicken. It was so good. Can’t wait to try this harvest recipe. I just saw local Ontario Brussels sprouts in the grocery store. Perfect. The video was great. Thanks.

Awesome video, Erin!! :) This dinner looks like the BEST choice for an easy Fall dinner. I totally gravitate towards the familiar when I make dinner at home, but I like to be adventurous when I go out.

Made this tonight for a friend!! We loved it!! I used broccoli instead of brussel sprouts and added rainbow carrots to the mix. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the cinnamon added such a different flavor – will definitely be a go-to fall dinner item!! Thanks!

I just tried this recipe and it was very good with one exception. Specifically at fifteen minutes, I checked the underside of the chicken breasts and they were not cooked through. So I flipped them over and cooked for an extra five minutes. If I were to do the recipe again, I would probably substitute chicken tenders to minimize this issue arising or I would be prepared to flip. Otherwise I liked the taste. The dish was very aromatic and “homey” while being stylish too!

Arthur, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Since your chicken needed a bit longer, my guess is that you used chicken breasts that were larger than the ones I used. The cooking time will definitely vary depending upon the size of the chicken pieces. Tenders would definitely finish more quickly, so if that is what you are after, and I think that’s a great swap. So happy you loved the flavor, thanks!

We made this recipe last week and loved it! It was so good (so flavorful!) that we are making it again this week. Thanks so much for your healthy, easy, and flavorful meals. That’s a tough combination to master.

Lisa, this means so much to me to hear. What you described is exactly my goal for my recipes, so it means a lot to know that that is how you see them too. Enjoy every bite, and thank you for leaving this kind review!

Thank you for this delicious recipe! I just enjoyed the leftovers from last night’s dinner for lunch. My husband, who wasn’t thrilled when I explained what I’d be making for dinner, couldn’t stop telling me how good it was. Part of that was him trying to make me feel good, I’m sure, but I think he was mostly surprised at how much he liked it. I had butternut squash on hand so I replaced the sweet potato with that but otherwise followed the recipe. My house smelled amazing and the dish looked as good as it tasted! Thanks again!

Thanks Erin! As I’m thinking about this I remembered I sometimes roast little potatoes on parchment paper with out oil (surprisingly good)….I might try this with parchment and see how it works…the moisture from the veggies may help too. Thanks again:)

THe recipe calls for 3 Tbsp EVOO, divided, but then in the description, states to use 1 1/2 Tbsp with chicken marinade, then remaining 1/2 Tbsp over veggies. Is the total supposed to be 2 Tbsp or should I use the other 1 1/2 Tbsp with the veggies?

I’ll admit, I was very hesitant at first (mainly because of the cinnamon and apples), but this was *SO* good! I added some apple-wood bacon and carrots to the dish which added to the deliciousness. My husband, who is very picky, really loved this! I had to cook the chicken a little bit longer, but other than that, everything was spot on. I can’t wait to make this again!

My family and I loved this. My husband said It almost tasted like dessert… I wasn’t sure what to make of the cinnamon, but it melded together beautifully. I didn’t have Brussel sprouts so I used green beans, and red apples. Yummm!

I made this last week for my husband and my 3 year daughter. I used pork chops vs chicken and it turned out wonderful. My daughter loved it, as did my husband–I was left with empty plates and no left overs! I’ll try it with chicken next.

I made this for dinner tonight with sausage instead of chicken (because that’s what I had in my fridge) and it was so good!!! I look forward to making it again with chicken. Thanks so much for all of your great recipes!

Hi Naomi, I don’t think it’s something you did wrong…there are a variety of factors that could have affected the cooking time. Depending on how thin you pounded the chicken breasts before marinading them, they might have turned out thicker than mine did and taken longer to cook. Or they could have been larger pieces to begin with. It helps also to know if your oven temperature runs cooler than the displayed temperature, which also would have caused a longer cooking time. (An oven thermometer is great for figuring that out if you don’t have one! I hope you enjoyed the recipe!

Delish! I had chicken breasts and Brussel sprouts to cook and googled for recipes. I happened to have all ingredients on hand and tried it. It was wonderful, I will def be preparing it again. I was worried about the cinnamon flavor but it was perfect!

I tried this a few weeks and I loved it! Hubby even liked it :-) I have a question for you. I don’t have brussels sprouts on hand, but I do have cabbage. Do you think there would be a difference in cooking time if I use that instead?

Hi Leslie Ann! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. :) If you’d like to use cabbage instead, I’d recommend slicing it in wide ribbons and stirring it in with the roasting vegetables after removing the chicken in step 4. Since sliced cabbage isn’t as compact as a brussels sprout, it’ll take less time to cook. Hope that helps!

Sadly, I did not care for this dish. It looked amazing, but the vegetables get steamed and mushy. The apples did not hold up at all. Too high heat for too long. The flavors did not taste good to me. Was a lot of work for a lot of disappointment.

Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the recipe. As you can see, many others have tried the recipe and enjoyed it, but everyone’s tastes are different. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and have it not turn out, so I truly wish you would have loved this.

I made this for a Mother’s Day lunch today – everyone really loved it and my mom kept commenting on how it was so pretty and so tasty! My brother is actually making her dinner tomorrow (we couldn’t decide on a recipe that worked for both of us) and he commented he would need to step up his game. ;) Very easy to prepare, definitely a keeper!

Omg my boyfriend and I fell in LOVE with this recipe! Everything goes so nicely together in a way that a novice like me didn’t really expect. This was one of the first times we made a big meal and didn’t have leftovers! Perfect “weeknight dinner” type of thing. I made a few small changes based on what I had on hand which was dried rosemary for the marinade and fuji apples instead of granny Smith (also I used 2 instead of 1), and like i said, it still came out great.

I have made the skillet version and the sheet pan version. Both are amazing, but I prefer the sheet pan version – specifically, I thought the chicken tasted better on the sheet pan. I upped the oven heat to 430 degrees and my chicken was done in 18 minutes. I then roasted the veggies for an additional 10 minutes, and they were great. The apples were soft, so maybe I will add those half way through next time. All in all, an INCREDIBLE dish that is filled with nutritious and delicious foods.

Made this last night for my boyfriend and parents, and they all really enjoyed it! We used boneless skinless thighs instead of breasts (just personal preference), and “someone” forgot to pick up Brussels sprouts, so I used carrots and parsnips, along with an extra sweet potato. The carrots and parsnips were AWESOME with the cinnamon, but I am looking forward to making the original version too :) Thanks, Erin!

It was so good! I added a little more garlic and kept the chicken in for 5 extra minutes. My husband and kids devoured it. Best recipe I’ve made this year. Thank you so much for this . Love love loved it!

If I used skinless chicken thighs, how long would it take? Also, if the chicken is not fully cooked, but the veggies are, how do I proceed? Do I remove the veggies and allow the chicken to cook further? Or just cook the entire meal longer? Thanks!

Hi Andrea, if the chicken thighs are bone-in, it’ll take probably more like 35-45 minutes to cook through, depending upon their size. If they’re boneless, you can pound them to an even thickness like instructed for the chicken breast and it will likely take less time. Since it can vary, using a meat thermometer to check for doneness is best! You can remove the veggies from the oven if the chicken needs a lot more time, or if it just needs a couple minutes extra, they’d be fine to leave in.

This was absolutely delicious! I did omit the onion, as my 11 yr old daughter does not eat onions. She literally ate her entite plate before I could take my second bite! I’m still shocked she ate brussel sprouts as we’ve attempted this veggie a few times now. Thank you for sharing. I’m looking forward to making this dish again and again.

Hello Erin, thanks for sharing your gorgeous recipe. I’m excited to try it but curious about the timing. Why do you cook the chicken at the beginning rather than adding it later to cook at the end? With 15 minutes of additional cook time + the 5 or so minutes it’ll take to get everything plated and to the table, the chicken will get cold (at least in my home!). I’m tempted to do the 15 minutes of cooking just the veggies and add the chicken to cook with the veggies for the rest of the time. Is there a reason, though, to do it with the chicken first? Thank you so much for your advice.

Elizabeth, I found that letting the veggies cook without the chicken on top helped them crisp up and caramelize, versus steam. You could always play around with cooking the chicken on a different sheet pan and adding it towards the end if you like. I hope you all enjoy it!

I just made this and it was delicious. The veggies are so good! In my opinion the chicken could benefit from some salt. I like to eat my food spicy so to me it was a little bland. Might add something spicy the next time, I’m thinking about ginger maybe and some extra garlic to make the chicken stand out as well.